West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-01-27

The angels Of Gods rescue are wading
down INTO tbs surf to clutch yoIr
hand and the redeemed prodigals OF Heayen
are coming down with white robes 20 clothe
al tnose VINO come ION broken pieces Of the
ship" My sympathies are the mora Aroused
sOr those 70 whom am speaking to-day. be-
cause myself was naturally sccpticaI I
questioned everything about this life and
ABOUT the next life, and was farther out at
soa than the 236 passengers on the fourtsenth
night when they threw their grain overheard:
anu was the annoyance of my theological
professor because asked 30 many questions
nut heard that Christ came 70 save sinners.
and Knew was one Of them, and came
ashore, aud have been there ever since.
ana do not propose - put out on
that sea again. would not rjsk it
all: have not in tho last thirty years
spent thirty minutes In discussing
the controverted points OF religion, aud I
snail not Tor the rest OF my life spend thirty
seconds In discussing the controversial noInfs
OF religion. would rather in a canoe 90
out and dare the worst cyclone that ever
swept up from the Caribbean, than trust NV.
SELF In discussion so useless so dan.
gerous and so destructive, in which many
OF my theo ogical brethren are indulging,
they make me think Of n group Of sailors on
hanlsgate Pierhead from which lifeboats
are usually launched, coolly discussing tho
different styles OF oarlocks, and how a boat
ought 70 set in the water and dis
cussing coolly the laws OF navigation
when there IL n hurricane in full blast
and three steamers laden with pas Sengers
going 70 pieces in the oiiing jack tar his
lace twitching with nervous exciteme mt, ,
says: my lads this il no time TO discusst
such things Man the life boat. Who will
man the pieri Out with her into the surf
Full away for tho wreck, my lads, pull, pull !
There wo have them Lay them down inI
tne oottom OF the boat Now, Jack, try 10
bring them TO. Wrap the n up warm In
these names, while l pull for. the beach
God help me! God hello us ALI There's
land! Huzzah Saved All OF themlD oh. when
there are thcuands and tens of thousands
out in the awful surf of sin AMI death and
he'll, out with the lifeboat. Let ALI else oo
Tor this one effort OF salvation-salyation
Tor time, salvation forever | bethink NV
self or the fact that in this audience there
arc those who becau'e OF their Opportunity,
OF because OF their peculiar life, have made
wreck, complete wreck You started
life with n fair prospect You pron-
lsed a peaceful, bright and beautiful
voyage, but you have sailed in the wrong
so there Is only fragment of time left. Come
IN on that plank. Some on broken pieces of
the ship" "Oh," you tell me {" I am ali,
broken up; decade of my life gone. two
d eea9es gone, three decades gone, four
decades gone, perhaps half century
gone, perhaps three quarters OF a century,
gone. the minute hand and the hour hand
OF your clock OF lie are almost parallel.
anu ~ VIII soOn DO Twelve O'Clock and your
day or grace ended. All DISCOURAGED ara
youi l admit IL is sad enough 10 give
to sn AMI the devil the best part
OF our lives, and then at the close
make God the present of a first rate
corpse You can never come in on that old
ship; 1t has gone to pieces You can never
recall the past; IL has gone forever. III there
Is only fragment OF n year left, or a frag-
ment OF month"; or a fragment OF q week, or
fragment OF day, or fragment OF an
hour, come in ON that plank. Perhnps when
you get to heaven God may let you go out
on some great mission to some other world.
partially TO atone for your lack OF service in
this From how many deathbeds / have
seen hands thrown up in declarations some
thing like this: MY life has been wasted: /
have good talents; l had fine social
position; | had grand opportunities, but
through worldliness or neglect, all are gone
except these few remaining moments I
now accept Christ and / shall thrc ugh His
mercy enter Heaven. But alas alas when
might have sailed into tho haven OF
eternal rest with a full cargo, and been
greeted by the waving hands OF a great nul-
tltude In whose salvation 1 had taken a
blessed part, | must confess, that go into
the harbor of Heaven ION broken pieces OF
the shin y -